Persued
by daeohtar
Summary: Life from Severus's view point after the wars, of what he finds and wants. AU. Kinda a drabble, first writing.


She was pursued. Pursued by guys from every walk of life, charming good looks and money to the most brilliant minds in the wizarding community and yet, she seemed blissfully unaware of all of them and so blissfully unaware of them. She seemed to focus only on her work, and for that, her work blew his mind. It blew every mind. That's why they all wanted her. They wanted her success, her status, her money, everything but who she was. They all wanted to use her.

Her name was in the newspaper more often than the ministers, she had a few books published, people sent her fan mail, and if any slander was posted about her, it was everywhere shortly. More often than not, her fans or lovers shot it down and fixed it down. She was the doll of public, never mind that most of them never saw her. She was more of a ghost then anything, and no one seemed to think anything wrong of this. She was their hero. Part of the trio.

Maybe that was why he wasn't surprised to see her at his door one day. She had on some kind of muggle clothing- mesh pants and a loose t-shirt, with a look on her face. They both looked at each other, before she raised an eyebrow and brushed past him. Yes, they had been communicating lately; she was asking questions about some potion or the other, trying to collect facts or something of that extent, but showing up unannounced and barging into his house. Now that was a new trick for her. The bookworm had emerged from her books. Finally.

That was simply the start. He started to leave the door unlocked her, more like altering the wards so she could just let herself in. He noticed she seemed thin, unnaturally so. This led to food being left out for her, variations at first, until he pinpointed what she would and wouldn't eat. They got along this way for a while, not saying much, he would just bring her books or parts of his notes, while she scribbled away at something else and gave him nods and ate the food. Sometimes, they'd take a break and actually dine together.

He remembers this vividly. Their first dinner together was never planned or thought out, it just happened. The old grandfather clock chimed nine o'clock before either of them really noticed, and, as a gentleman, he offered to cook dinner for the two of them. Or pick something up (he regrets this still). She just smiled, that soft smile, and said she'd help cook if he wanted to. An hour, one messy kitchen, and two plates later, they sat down to eat. Pasta, their dish of choice, was piled high between them (they had realized mid-cooking, that they haven't eaten all day), and they dined more like teenagers then adults. And, that's when it began. It was quiet, slow, and seeping, their love. Like a fine wine, or aged whiskey, he preferred the whiskey to wine any day.

Maybe that's why they were surprised one morning, when she came over, and they met awkwardly in the hallway, and their eyes met. It was like they just saw each other for the first time, and it consumed them. They fell in love without knowing it, and they met mid-way through the process, their minds needed to play catch up with their hearts. Of course, nothing went smoothly. Never for him.

The suitors started to arrive at the door, his door of all places! The media soon followed them, reporting on the professor and the student-totally forgotten that neither held those titles in many a year. Her hero-status and her reputation as a researcher were completely forgotten. He was once again the evil-doer, Voldemorts right hand man and Dumbledore's killer. They were painted up to the t, over a few petty suitors she would have rejected anyway. The golden boy and his ginger sidekick showed their faces, pleading for her to leave and rejoin the 'real world'. Her words echo in his ears to this day.

"The real world you live in is encompassed by gossips and faux pas till someone messes up and then it's a public spectacle and it's on constant repeat." She then handed them both a dictionary, and shut the front door.

He admired her crass in that one moment, plus the bewildered looks upon her friends faces kept him amused for a while after that. Actually, it still kept him amused. He had to hold back a chuckle while she stood up for herself, watching from the shadows. That anger kept her going for a few days, and in good humor despite the media perched over them like an awful shadow. It actually got so bad, that when he reset the wards (he did this every Thursday, sometimes, or was it Saturdays?), he readjusted the distance and 'booted' the reporters off his front lawn, and made the house disappear from plain sight. After several, rather angry, letters from the ministry, and a few death threats, the house remained vanished and they were finally left alone, for now.

On a fine, autumn morning, he finally got the courage up to ask her something. It had rested on the back of his mind like a weight, slowly gaining more and more until he could no longer sit there idly and not do anything. He had a very important question to ask her. And it was getting asked, today, if it killed him. He inwardly cringed; tempting fate wasn't something he wanted to do at the moment. Not today, of all days. It had been decided, sometime ago, that she would just move in. She had started in the back bedroom, but, gradually, she moved into his room. It had all started with a sweater, or was it a sock?

Either way, she was moved in to his bedroom, his library, his study, his house, his life. And, last but not least, his heart. The cheese factor there baffled him. This was unacceptable. He paused at the top of the stairs, she was in the library he knew, but there were doubts that filled his head. She could say no, or reject him, or do so many other things. Here, he swallowed his doubts. They would not stop him today.

She looked up as he entered, he had long ago discarded his swooping-bat-like motions and just held himself with an arrogant manner but not today, today he entered like any man would. As himself. A small smile played on her lips, and her eyes gave a twinkle that he loved to see, even if she was mad (although, the twinkle became more intense when she was interested or passionate), and he longed to hold her for a moment. This was an important question, and he couldn't distract himself from it.

"I have a very important question to ask." He paused, as she nodded. " 'Moine (He had taken to saying this lately), I would very much like it if you were to be my wife."

Now, her reaction consumed him, and never had his heart pounded so loudly or fast. Her small smile went away, as her face went completely neutral.

"You realize that you'll have to get rid of the media again and the two boys you love so dearly will never stop hounding us, yes?" She said, in complete seriousness, before smiling at him broadly. He took her smile as a yes, before sweeping her up in a kiss, papers going everywhere (she had been sitting and working on something, later he was reprimanded for messing up the papers). After what had been a week, he finally produced a ring (he was rather selective after all). It was a simple silver band with a dark green emerald (very slytherin of him, yes), and she loved it nonetheless. But it was their wedding that they disagreed about. He wanted nothing more than to be married with two witnesses and be done with it, but, of course, she wanted something much more. As in, an actual wedding.

Several months of planning, deplaning, and arguing (with everyone else; not him), the wedding was finally there. The golden boy and his sidekick would be there (but not in the wedding; he fought hard for that), along with half of the Hogwarts staff, and Merlin only know who else. Half the world probably. But she looked beautiful, walking across the grounds of Hogwarts (the weather cooperated with them for once; it was a beautiful day), and had he been a lesser man, tears would of come to his eyes.

As Minerva oversaw the whole ceremony (The minister insisted on performing the ceremony), he felt less of a need to be as paranoid. But, of course, he was. He insisted on doubling the wards, checking everyone for dark magic (or pranks), but sadly, wasn't allowed to take everyone's wands (apparently they needed protection from him. Hogwash.) In other words, the wedding went off without a hitch.

The honeymoon was the best part, only for the fact that everyone knew better then to interrupt and the only soul who knew where they were was Minerva (She made him tell the Headmistress, something about safety..mhm). It lasted a month, a wonderful, blissful month. No contact with the outside world, they stayed on an island in the tropics and even left their work at home (that was the hard part, no work).

When they got home, they had another surprise. First off, Minevra had decided to extent them both teaching positions (she did this annually to him), and their house (it was finally both of theirs now) was cleaned. The second surprise came in the third month of being married, when she announced her pregnancy to him. That's when he gave pause to life, to think about what all had happened. He felt so sure not that long ago, that he would always be alone. Always without someone or a something, and here he was, with a baby on the way and a new wife. A family to call his own. And that this, Severus smiled.


End file.
